Hide and Go Find Yourself!
by LizardScalesFairyTales
Summary: Gary and the rest of the crew on the Galaxy One celebrate a successful rescue mission with their newest member, Little Cato! Everyone is just so happy, or, at least they're trying to be.
1. Ready? Set Go!

For AmazingGracesPouringDown

* * *

"-And then he shoots- _me_ , in the thigh! And it didn't break either! It hurts like, _ten times more_ when it doesn't break!" Gary hissed in irritation, gesturing to his thigh in mock horror and jostling a sleepy Mooncake resting in his lap.

Little Cato laughed hysterically at Gary's wid mannerisms, watching him with rapt interest.

"Hahahaha! A-are you serious?! You were such a dork!"

"Haha! Maybe so, but I told you this was a _victory_ story! And I am many things Little Cato, but a liar is _not_ one of them! _Patience!"_

Little Cato snickered and nodded, leaning forward on the dining table for Gary to continue.

"Okay, so then I yell " _SON OF A W-_ "

"Hey! So I checked around the ship, inside and out and it looks like we're in the clear. No trackers, no bombs." Avocato came over to the dining area, ignoring the pout Gary gave him at interrupting his story in favor of giving his son's shoulder a soft squeeze.

Little Cato smiled at his dad and Gary couldn't bring himself to break up the tender moment by complaining about Avocato's unintentional interruption. He grabbed Mooncake who was still napping in his lap, and squeezed the squishy ball to keep himself from squealing in glee at seeing the two Vetraxians together at last.

"So buddy, you wanna get the grand tour of the ship?" Avocato asked, gesturing to the rest of the Galaxy One.

Gary felt a small pang of something at the term of endearment, but quickly swallowed it down in favor of petting a very cuddly Mooncake and needlessly reminiscing about the aftermath of Little Cato's rescue.

They'd only rescued Little Cato a few days ago, but considering all the ship repairs that needed to be done, and the objectively rational paranoia Avocato had over trackers, bombs, and the like, Little Cato hadn't really gotten to see much of the ship. Mostly, Avocato and Quinn left him with Gary and Gary passed the time by telling the small fry stories about his childhood on earth.

Gary had to admit, he liked babysitting duty. It made him feel useful and it was something he could actually do well. Plus, Little Cato was fun to hang with!

Mooncakes nuzzled Gary's chest as Little Cato stood up confidently smirked.

"Counter idea. You give me a 30 second head start and I bet I can find a hiding place on this ship you never even knew was there!"

Quinn walked into the dining area and raised an eyebrow incredulously. "You mean hide and seek?"

Little Cato blushed then scoffed, crossing his arms and looking away. Avocato gave Quinn a _'Must you?'_ look and quickly covered her question up dad style.

"No no, wait! I thinks he's on to something. I wanna see where he's going with this."

Quinn rolled her eyes and smiled in response to Avocato's, _'Just go with it.'_ look.

"Well, okay then. I want in. I'd like to see if he can find a secret area of the ship. Might be good to know. For security reasons of course!" She added as Gary smiled at her smugly, still petting a more awake green ball friend .

"Uh-huh, _suuuuure_ Quinn."

"Chookity-Pok!"

Avacato smiled at his son proudly and pulled Little Cato over with his arm, ruffling his head hair with the other. "You'd be surprised! This kid has a gift!"

"Ah! _Daaad!_ "

Quinn, Avocato and Little Cato all laughed at the two tousled each other's head hair lightly, Little Cato yelling something about 'Messing with his doo' and filling the room with a light air, leaving everyone smiling and hopeful.

At least, almost everyone.

"Ch-chookity?"

Mooncake nudged Gary's chin uncertainly as the man's eyes seemed to stare off into the distance, his hands shaking just enough to alarm the small creature.

* * *

 _"And you found all of these in our yard?"_

 _"Yep! All by myself! Aren't they cool?"_

 _"I don't know sweetie, they look nice, but won't you have to let them go?"_

 _"Awww. Okay, fine! But I'm gonna go take pictures of them first!"_

 _"..."_

 _"Honey, I'm a little worried the other boys might make fun of him."_

 _"Nonsense! Listen, what Gary's doing is really advanced! I mean, think of what kind of amazing things he'll be able to find in the future!"_

 _"Like what you and Jack did with that space leech?"_

 _"You'd be surprised! Our kid has a gift!"_

* * *

"Oooooh" Mooncake nudged Gary's cheek, and hummed in concern as his friend finally seemed to reenter the waking world. As his eyes and ears refocused, Gary realized Avocato had been talking to him.

"-so no cheating! You in Gary?" Avocat asked, looking more energetic and excited than Gary had ever seen him.

Probably had something to do with that fact that he was spending time with his son after years of not knowing if he was safe or not. Little Cato was his world after all, it made sense that Avocato would be so happy now. Little Cato, despite trying to work the 'Too cool for this." pre-teen look, looked pretty giddy too. Just a father and his son, reuniting after a long, miserable separation.

Well that wasn't helping.

Gary frowned despite himself and shook his head, then realized that that was sending a stronger message than he'd intended and pulled on an awkward, very fake smile.

"Uh, Nah, I don't- no, yeah. I'm, I think I'm just gonna chill here, so-"

Avocato, well trained in the arts of bromance fu, drew his brows together in concern and looked Gary over. He noted that Mooncake looked worried too and placed a hand on Gary's shoulder.

"Gary, are you okay? What's up? Talk to me baby."

Avocato smiled confidently at his friend, obviously still coasting on his previous rescue mission triumph. Gary forced himself to smile wider and attempted to physically and emotionally shrug off the unwelcome feelings intruding on this wondrous and happy moment.

"Yo, I'm totally fine! Just-just a little tired. I'm crusin' for a snoozin right about now!"

Quinn went to stand beside Avocato and tilted her head incredulously. "Really? You seemed pretty energetic before. Are you sure you're alright Gary?"

Quinn and Avocato shared a look and Quinn placed her hand on his remaining shoulder, smiling in a way that made Gary feel warm in all the right places. Those places being his heart and his face. You perv.

"Yeah I'm sure Quinn, I just- Okay you want the truth? When The Lord Commander invaded my mind fortress, it may or may not have been an inordinately taxing endeavor! It was like he blended my brain on pulse and added some LSD to the saucy mix!"

Quinn rolled her eyes, and Gary internally congratulated himself on his amazing tangents of misdirection, which actually did come in handy! So useful they were almost like an extra pair of hands! You have a gift Gary. A GIFT!

"Well, okay, but are you sure you don't want to try to stick around for one game?" Quinn asked. "I'm pretty sure we can find Little Cato pretty easi- Wait! Where'd he go?!"

Quinn whirled around, scanning the room in confusion as Mooncake ooh'd in interest.

Avacato pulled his hand away from Gary's shoulder and smiled triumphantly. "I told you he'd surprise you. He probably left the second you took your eyes of him, gave himself a good forty second head start."

"Not if _I_ have anything to say about it!" Quinn announced, stomping out of the room with a focused purpose.

Gary watched Quinn go, relaxing now that he was no longer under her hawk like gaze.

"I better go after her, who knows what trouble those two can get up to? Little Cato can get real competitive when it comes to hide and seek." Avocato said casually, smiling with that proud father look in his eyes again.

Gary looked away and smiled, trying to focus on something else, like just how green Mooncake really was! Super interesting! Mooncake started hmming in worry again and Gary shushed him, petting him gently and giving him a warm squeeze.

"So you admit it _is_ Hide and Seek?" He asked after making sure his throat was clear. If his voice cracked then he might as well just jump out the window with no helmet, save himself the trouble

"Yeah, but Little Cato started getting embarrassed about it when he turned ten, so we just call it hunting. He thinks it sounds cooler."

"Huh." Gary said, then a little more quietly. "That's, really cool of you. The-the hide and seek thing. Some parents don't-they don't go the extra mile for their kids, so it's really cool that you obviously do… You're a great dad Avocato."

Avocato smiled, scratching behind one of his ears and glancing away. "Well, I wouldn't say that. Little Cato was being held hostage because of me. I just want to make up for all the trouble I put us through, give him the childhood he didn't get to have."

Gary couldn't take much more of this, friendship be damned! He nodded, then moved to get up, holding Mooncake under his arm like a cute basketball.

"That's great of you, really, um, I'm gonna go grab some z's-"

"Gary. Wait."

Gary foze, pulling Mooncake in front of him and looking like a criminal caught in the act. This was it, Avocato was gonna ask him why he was being a tool belt and the Gary would have to-

"I just wanna say...thank you, Gary."

Gary raised a brow in confusion and lowered Mooncake into a general resting position in his arms.

Avocato grabbed Gary's shoulders and squeezed them as he continued

"I would have never been able to save him if it weren't for your help. And, well, I hope I'm still welcomed here on the Galaxy One after we defeat The Lord Commander, because I want Little Cato to know you Gary. Like I do. You really _are_ my best friend…"

Gary's jaw dropped, his arms falling to his sides and Mooncake falling from them for a second before floating up and nudging Gary's arm worriedly. Avocato stiffened at Gary's reaction and had he not had hair covering his face, would have had a very visible blush burning him up.

" If- if that's okay, like, I understand if you don't want us to stick around after all is said and done. After all the trouble I've put you through- I mean you didn't exactly sign up to deal with-"

Gary shook his head and help up his hands. "Woah! Woah there. Pump your brakes! You want to _stay_ here? With _me?_ And- and you want me to hang out with your kid and-and-"

Avocato hunched in embarrassment and pulled his arms away from Gary, or, at least he tried, until Gary ran right into said arms and gave him a big hug.

"YES! You can stay here with me for as _long_ as you _want!_ That'd be like, a dream come true Avocato! Your son is almost as much of a badass as you, I'd love to hang out with him! I mean, I was kind of worried you were thinking I was a bad influence actually, so this is a total upgrade from what I thought would happen."

Avocato smiled and squeezed Gary back as Mooncake flew around their heads happily.

"Wah-Pa!"

" _Hehehe_ , that's right Mooncake! We got some permanent crew mates!"

Avocato laughed and pulled away, patting Gary's back as he did. "I really better go check on Quinn and Little Cato. She might not admit it, but she probably needs help."

Gary smiled and stood there long after Avocato had vanished from his vision. Mooncake nudged him, smiling and looking over to where Avocato had disappeared to eagerly.

"Chookity!"

Gary took a breath and internally cataloged his energy reserves, smile waning as he realized with every passing moment that the powerful concentrate of friendship could only power him for so long. He wouldn't last a game of hide and seek, especially if Little Cato was a good as Avocato said he was.

Gary rubbed his neck and sat back down. "Hey, why don't you go look for Little Cato with Quinn and Avocato? You got good eyes Mooncake, they could use your expertise!"

Mooncake smiled, but hesitated and gave Gary a concerned look around the room. Probably meant something along the lines of 'But you'll be alone.". Gary waved his hand dismissively and scoffed.

"I'll be waiting right here little buddy! And besides, I got HUE! I'm fine, go track down that mini Cato!"

Mooncake waved his nubs excitedly and flew off. "Chookity-Dookity!"

Gary watched Mooncake fly off and leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes. He sat in silence for a full minute, the sighed and buried his face in his hands. Talking with Avocato had eased the tight, painful throb in his chest, but it could only do so much.

Just as Gary was weighing the pros and cons of just getting up and going to his room, (He hoped Mooncake wouldn't be upset that he hadn't stayed where he'd said he would) HUE's voice echoed across the dining area soothingly.

"Gary, are you having an "off day" again? Do you want to talk about it?"

Gary scowled and sat up, rubbing his eyes and glaring at the ceiling.

"No, HUE. I'm fine, so drop it."

Gary felt a small pang of guilt at yelling at HUE for trying to help. After all, HUE had always been there when he had bad days, so he was only doing what he'd always done. Still, Gary didn't want to go over such depressing topics now that he had company.

"You need to talk about your feelings Gary." HUE urged. "Talking always makes you feel better."

"No THANK YOU, HUE! I said I'm _fine!_ " Gary insisted.

HUE, if he had the ability to, would have sighed. "You are a bad liar Gary."

* * *

Little Cato snickered as the sounds of Quinn and his father echoed throughout the ship. She was super frustrated cause he'd gotten a head start, but that was just business. Not that he needed it, considering just how easy it was to break into the ventilation shaft. He'd even found a cool room!

Right now he was just exploring and seeing just how long it would take for his dad and Quinn to find him. His dad played dumb sometimes when he was in a good mood, but he always found him eventually.

Little Cato's ears twitched at the sound of a familiar voice, and he smiled in anticipation. It was Gary, and it looked like he was still in the dining area for some reason. Little Cato was getting hungry, and he'd been wanting to get his hands on some of those cookies. Maybe Gary wouldn't tell the others where he'd been hiding and let him get a cookie. He probably would, Gary was a pretty fun guy.

As Little Cato got closer to the vent window in the dining area, he smiled as he recognized the tone Gary was using. He seemed peeved, and while Little Cato was usually one to tense up around upset people, Gary had a way of making everything seem tame and safe.

"- Hmmmm. What If I gave you a cookie in exchange for your cooperation?"

Little Cato watched as Gary balked in surprise as a twinkle of temptation sparkled in his eyes. He smiled and decided to watch HUE and Gary trade barbs. He had nothing better to do.

"WHA-? Wait! HUE are you _bribing_ me? Didn't you tell me bribery is _bad?_ "

"Actually, when dealing with children, it is common for guardian figures to-"

"I am _NOT_ a _CHILD,_ HUE!" Gary wined, waving his arms in offense.

Little Cato covered his mouth to stifle his giggles, watching Gary writhe around and flail his arms dramatically.

" _Keep_ your sugary disks of sin! I want _no part_ in their consumption!"

HUE went silent for a moment, and Gary found himself holding his breath in anticipation.

"I see...What if I were to tell you I would reduce your sentence three days of you talked to me about your feelings?"

Little Cato frowned as the actually subject of the fight came to light. Feelings? Yeah, he should leave. Little Cato quietly readjusted himself as he began once again crawling through the vents.

"...What?" Gary asked. "Are you serious HUE? I heard that right, _right?_ You said _reduce?_ "

"Yes Gary. I will reduce your sentence three days if you talk about your feelings." HUE confirmed.

"..." Gary fell silent for a moment, then huffed and slouched down in his seat in defeat.

" _Fine_. I-...I was just thinking about my dad…"

Little Cato had just begun to crawl out of earshot when Gary's confession hit him like cement truck. Gary loved his dad, Little Cato knew that much from talking to him, or more accurately, listening to him tell stories about his life on earth.

* * *

 _"- and I felt so guilty! Like, making the cookies was my charge! So when I see this dark figure in the night I thought, "Oh my Glob it's Santa! I have to repent!" so I got down on my knees and just poured out all my secrets to him! I was like "I steal quarters from my dad's coin jar!" and "One time I spit in his underwear cause I thought it would be funny!"."_

 _"Whoa, seriously? I thought_ homosapien _Santa was just the kids parents?"_

 _"Oh, it was! It was obviously my dad, just, in a robe. He had to convince me he was me from the future to get me to go back to bed! Like, he wanted me to believe in Santa so badly that he convinced me time travel was real."_

 _" Whahaha! What?!"_

 _"I know! He was the best."_

* * *

Gary talked about his dad like he was describing a hero, had even said as much once. Why didn't he want to talk about him now? Feeling slightly guilty about snooping, but unable to resist, Little Cato quietly crawled back to the dining area vent and peeked out to watch Gary.

"Why were you thinking about your father Gary?"

"..."

 _"Gary."_

"It's-I don't know! I guess, seeing Avacato with his son, it just made me remember some stuff…" Gary rubbed his arm anxiously as his eyes darted around the room, as if looking for an escape.

Little Cato leaned forward at the mention of him and his dad, concern growing.

"Like what Gary?"

Gary groaned in frustration.

"JUST- When Little Cato came on board, I realized just how similar to Avocato he was. I just SAW Avacato in him, and I just think-I missed-..."

Gary sighed and rubbed his cheek.

"...I just wonder what I would have ended up like, if he'd survived."

"Who Gary?"

Gary scowed again and slapped his hand onto the table, annoyed by how HUE was phrasing every question like he'd never heard the answers before."My dad HUE! Who else? Honestly, I've always wondered that! Who could I have been? I swear I've even had freaking dreams about it!"

Gary ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up and causing a few cowlick to stick up. Little Cato would have found it funny had the subject stressing Gary out been less serious.

"And you know what? No matter how weird those dreams are, like, even if I end up turning into a flying robot space cop in the end of it? It's always better than where I am now. Like how badly do you have to mess up your own life to think literally anything is better?"

"Why do you think you have "messed up" your life Gary? I think you dad would have been-"

 _ **"DON'T-"** _Gary's voice took a dark tone for a moment before he cut himself off, taking a deep, shaky breath and covering his face with a hand.

"Don't...say _proud_ HUE. He wouldn't have been proud of ANY of this! I'm a criminal HUE! I've wasted _FIVE YEARS_ here! How could he be proud of that?"

At this point, Little Cato was pretty sure this level of negative feelings was probably abnormal, at least for Gary. Dude did not wear brooding well. It just made him look sad, and tired. Little Cato started crawling through the vents to where he last saw Quinn and his dad, hoping that they could do something about HUE so Gary could catch a break. They would know what to do.

"Do you think you would have not been imprisoned on the Galaxy One had your father remained with you?" HUE asked in conversational tone some would call inappropriate when discussing such topics outside of the therapy practice.

"Of course! If my dad had stuck around I'd have probably become a member of the Infinity Guard or something! Maybe even become a hero like him!" Gary insisted, brushing some stray flyaway hair out of his face.

"Do you think your father would have also pledged his allegiance to The Lord Commander as well?"

Gary froze for a second as his brain caught up the what HUE had just suggested, then he paled at the implications. Would his dad have-

"Wha-No! He wouldn't-No! No way! My dad was a hero HUE! He would have probably stopped The Lord Comander by now with hyper lasers or something equally cool and awesome!"

Gary stood as he ranted, a newfound energy bursting forth to protect his dad's honor.

"Your father sounds like a remarkable man Gary. I can see why you miss him."

Gary deflated and sighed, sitting back down. "Yeah...he was."

* * *

"Rock, Paper, _Scissors!_ "

"Hah! I win! So that means-"

"Wha-No way!" Quinn waved her hand in frustration. "You cheated!"

"Whoaa! Pok!" Mooncake looked offended on Avocato's behalf, floating away from Quinn and giving her a stern pout."

Avocato rolled his eyes and smirked. "And how does one cheat at Rock Paper Scissors Quinn?"

Quinn glared and narrowed her eyes at him challengingly. "I guess I'll just have to find out. Another round!"

"As much fun as it is to watch you two fight over rock paper scissors, we have a problem." Little Cato interrupted, kicking open the vent grate and swinging out of the hole.

Avocato's smirk quickly fell into a concerned frown and Quinn went straight into no-nonsense mode.

"What happened? Did you find something? Where you attacked? Is it the Lord Commander?" Quinn grabbed Little Cato's shoulders and as she questioned him.

"Wh-No! No It's not like that. It's Gary!"

Mooncake gasped and flew over to Little Cato worriedly. Quinn relaxed, though she looked annoyed now.

"Gary is an adult Little Cato, he can take of himself. Though I can see why that seems hard to believe."

Little Cato scowled and pulled out of her reach, looking over to his dad pleadingly. "It's not something stupid, okay? Gary's- He's talking to HUE and he's getting really upset and, and I think it's about his dad. Dad please. He's you friend right? He looks like he needs a friend right now."

Avocat never stood a chance against his son in the first place, but when Little Cato brought out the sad eyes, he was totally gone.

"Alright Little Cato, we'll go see how he's doing, okay? Do you want to stay here?"

Little Caro looked nervous for a moment, then shook his head. "No, I want to help. Gary's...he's nice. I want to help him."

Avocato smiled proudly at his son, remembering the first time he'd thought the same thing about Gary himself.

"Eh-Hem? I'm still here." Quinn stated, looking unimpressed with Little Cato's display.

Avocato shrugged at her and raised a brow expectantly. "So? Are you coming too Quinn? Or do you want to stay here and research all the various ways someone can cheat at Rock Paper Scissors?"

Quinn bristled at the jab, but as Little Cato and Mooncake both looked over to Quinn, their cute faces and big eyes tore down all her stubborn resolve in an instant, leaving only a somewhat petty husk. Mooncake gave her a small coo and a nudge and with that, she huffed in frustration and stomped off towards the dining area. "Fine! Let's just do this."

* * *

"Jeez, I'm being selfish aren't I? Oh yeah. I'm being _real_ selfish right now. Avocato's my best friend! I should be happy right now! I should be celebrating and playing hide and seek like Quinn and Mooncake and, heck! Probably even _KVN!"_

Gary slumped forward into the table and groaned in shame.

"Oh my Glob, I'm worse than _KVN…"_

"Why are you unhappy Gary?" HUE asked.

"I don't want to be HUE. I really want to bask in all the success happening here like everyone else, but...I don't even know HUE. Something's off. Something's always been off. I don't even know HUE. Why _am_ I so unhappy?" Gary finished lamely, resting his cheek on the cool table surface and sighing in defeat.

Avacato and Quinn had been planning on storming into the dining area and knocking Gary upside the head for worrying Little Cato, but had found actually breaking the tension in the room to be too risky. They weren't proud to admit (Mostly in their heads) that their decisions were based solely on curiosity over the topic and a strong urge to avoid emotional conflict.

As of right now, they were all hiding behind a booth in the dining area, Little Cato pouting and hugging Mooncake as the only other adults on the ship stooped to the same tactic he'd went to. Sure, he'd snooped too, but he was like, 13! The only reason he wasn't stepping up himself was the fact that he didn't know if that was the appropriate response.

What if Gary got angry at him? What if he and his dad were kicked out because of him? What if HUE got angry?

He just couldn't risk it, no matter how sad seeing Gary upset made him feel. He would never admit it out loud, but Gary made him feel safe. He was just so nice! Maybe that was why his dad was friends with him. Gary wasn't the type to shoot you in the back.

Avocato watched Gary rant to HUE as he tried to fight down the guilt tying knots in his gut. He was supposed to be Gary's friend, and yet Gary had actively avoided coming to him for comfort or just to talk. They'd hugged and Avocato had thought Gary had been fine, but seeing this? Obviously not! Literally Gary's only requirement of him was to be his friend and yet he couldn't even do that!

Avocato unconsciously pulled Little Cato closer and sighed quietly, disappointed in himself, but also Gary. He would never admit it, but he'd put Gary on a bit of a pedestal when he'd realized what a loyal person he was. He'd wanted to show Gary the same vulnerability, trust and kindness Gary had shown him and maybe come to a point where he felt worthy of such a genuine friendship. Now? Now he new that Gary didn't seem trust him as much as he'd hoped he had. Heck, Avocato couldn't blame him.

Quinn watched Gary as he expressed a series of emotion that she hadn't thought he was even capable of. Anger, grief, fear, depression. It was all so...alien. From what she'd been exposed to with Gary so far, she'd unintentionally come to the conclusion that like a newborn, Gary seemed immune to the evils of the world. Naive, flighty, kind to a fault, and desperate for attention, he seemed shallow in an almost charming way, though just as often irritating.

But seeing Gary like this...It was an uncomfortable position to be sure. She knew of course. Everyone had depth, everyone had their own story to tell, but considering that that someone was Gary, she couldn't fathom why he hadn't told it. She was pretty sure Gary could talk someone to death if he wanted to, so why the secrecy?

"Am I to conclude that the newest members of the Galaxy One are the source of your distress Gary?"

Gary sat up and scoffed in offense at HUE's suggestion.

"What... in the name of _everything deep fried and covered in beef?!_ HUE, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! No! That's not it at all!"

"Please explain Gary. So far, you seem to be telling me that our new crew members only stir up melancholy and grief."

The rest of the crew collectively shifted to peek out from behind the booth, curiosity thoroughly agitated as Gary stood again and waved his arms as he spoke.

"No, that's not-" Gary sighed in irritation. HUE is usually never this dense.

"HUE, them being here makes me _happy,_ okay? Sure, sometimes I get sad cause I remember stuff or I my arm gets torn off, but there are way more pros than cons!" He explained.

"Like what Gary?"

Gary smiled with more confidence that anyone had ever known he possessed and placed a thoughtful hand on his chin. "Where do I start? Well, Mooncake is probably the most pure, lovable, quality being in the entire universe! He's like, the little ball friend I never had and never actually knew I wanted!"

Mooncake beamed at Gary's praise and pulled out of Little Cato's arms, cooing happily and floating over to Gary with absolute adoration in his eyes. Avocato hissed to Quinn and she grabbed him by his nub, pulling him back and giving him a stern glare.

"We're hiding Mooncake. No hugging Gary." She whispered.

Mooncake pouted and Quinn handed him back to Little Cato who pet the sad gree alien placatingly.

"And then Avacato! He's so cool! Like, I'm not even kidding, the dude is a certified badass!" Gary takes a fighting stance and punches the air for effect.

Avocato smiled despite himself and held back a chuckle at seeing Gary try to imitate his moves.

"I think I saw him eat an apple off a knife once and I _still_ haven't gotten over it! He's also the best friend I've ever had. I trust him with my life, and I think he might trust me with his, which, considering he's probably the picture you get when you look up lone wolf, is pretty humbling."

Avacato felt a pinch of guilt again, but this time it was only directed at himself. Gary did trust him. Why had he doubted that? Guy lost an arm for him and didn't even blame him for it. He unconsciously squeezed his son tighter as another thought struck him. Gary had saved his world. Maybe if you couldn't trust himself, he just needed to trust that Gary trusted him.

"And Quinn! Jeez, there's probably not enough adjectives in the universe to describe how amazing she is. I mean, she's so capable and _smart!_ And she's got this laser focus that just drives her like no tomorrow! She's...She's a _real_ leader. I'm actually really glad she's here, because I don't think I'd be able to do any of this alone. She's just so strong, I can't help but trust her. I have no doubt she'll be the reason we defeat The Lord Commander"

Quinn's blushed and a rubbed her arm distractedly as Gary sang her praises. When the soft sound of someone clearing their throat reached her ears she looked to her side to see a very smug looking Avocato. She glared at him and tried to set her face straight, but she just couldn't help the small smile that formed as Gary confessed his respect for her.

Not enough people did, in her opinion, and knowing Gary saw her as a leader just made her feel more confused. People who she'd pledged her loyalty to and years of her life to hadn't even done that. Yet Gary did, and she'd been the one to sucker punch him and send him to jail for five years!

"And hey! Little Cato? He's such a cool kid, just like his dad, but with a little more spirit! I don't really know him super well, but that kid is sharp! Funny too."

Little Cato smiled and hugged Mooncake closer. He'd been a little distant to Gary the first day they'd spent together, and while he'd opened up a bit more, he'd been worried that Gary thought he was just a bratty kid. Maybe when they talked again, he'd tell Gary some stories about his life.

"If you admire all the members of your party so much Gary, why can you not enjoy success with them?" HUE asked.

Gary deflated with a guilty frown. "That's the thing HUE, I can't help it! It's a me problem, I just-I'm-I'm-I'm not unhappy because of them. I'm not even really unhappy! I just can't- It's like a bad date!"

Everyone behind the booth looked to each other in confusion. Had they heard what they'd thought they'd heard? A date? What the heck was Gary talking about?

"What is like a bad date Gary?"HUE pressed.

Gary waved his hands and beginning pacing in thought. _"This!_ Okay, so, imagine you're on this first date at a fancy restaurant with this person who just refuses to stop taking things off your plate. You're like, yeah, okay, we're on a date so maybe that would be cool, but it's also the first date so it's really _not?_ And they keep snatching little bits off and it's _annoying_ and even though the food is good, it's not as good because you know it's missing some stuff?"

Quinn looked over to Avocato and mouthed, _"Is this making any sense to you?"_ and Avocato shrugged, then looked over to Mooncake and Little Cato. Mooncake just shook his head and Little Cato gave them a so-so hand gesture.

"And then dessert comes and you are _so stoked_ for this, because you know it's gonna be the culmination of the entire meal in a trifecta of sugary goodness! Then, just as the waiter is setting it down, your crappy date decides to take a big 'ol chuck _right_ out of it!"

Gary made a tight angry fist, miming someone snatching something as he continued to pace erratically.

"And you eat your dessert anyway, but in the back of your mind all the way home, you _know_ , it could have been _so much better_ if that piece wasn't _missing!"_

Something in Gary finally breaks as he finished his rant, slamming his fist into the table and then face planting into the surface in frustration.

For a moment, the entire crew of the Galaxy One fell silent as they all collectively tried to decipher the word vomit Gary had just laid before them.

"...I see...Thank you for talking to me Gary. Do you feel better?" HUE questioned quietly.

Gary kept his face mushed into the table for a few seconds before responding.

 _"No_ HUE, remarkably, I feel even _worse_. So thanks for that."

After a tired groan, Gary finally stood and rubbed at his face tiredly.

"Listen HUE, can you tell everyone I went to bed early? I...I'm gonna go take a nap."

"Of course Gary. You have had a long day."

"Thanks…"

Gary slowly trudged out of the dining area, letting himself fall down the shaft to the floor with his room.

After a beat of collective silence, HUE spoke up once more.

"You can all come out now."

 _"Oof!"_ Little Cato fell forward as Mooncake abruptly pulled out of his arms, flying straight to where he saw Gary last and humming sadly.

"Please remain here Mooncake. I need to speak with all of you." HUE said.

Avacato stumbled out from behind the booth first, standing and pointing to the ceiling incredulously. "Wait! You could _see_ us?"

"I am an AI meant to monitor this entire ship. I see all."

Quinn quickly stood as well and gave HUE a suspicious glare. "So are you telling me you knew we were listening to Gary the entire time? Why?"

Little Cato brushed himself off as he stood and nodded in agreement. "Yeah! What's your deal?"

"I had Gary vent his feelings in front of you all because I believe that Gary is in need of assistance, and you all owe him." HUE responded.

Quinn balked in offense as Mooncake floated over to a distressed Little Cato and Avocato frowned. HUE was notoriously critical of Gary and his immature behavior, so this was a surprise to be sure. What what did he mean by owe?

Quinn was the first to voice her thoughts. "What do you mean we _owe_ Gary, HUE?"

"I thought it was obvious. " HUE said. "-But I find it understandable that you might overlook it."

HUE suddenly brought up a holo screen and the crew took a collective step back. The screen flickered to life and started playing footage of the Galaxy One crew. They all quickly realized what most of the footage consisted of. It was Gary. Gary saving each crew member, helping them, or just talking to them.

"To put it simply, Gary has offered all of you help and support in your various endeavours, at the risk of his life may I add, and all of you have accepted with little to no regard for Gary's needs in return."

Mooncake cooed sadly in agreement, Little Cato giving the alien a small comforting squeeze in response. Avocado's looked down, then pulled Little Cato to his side protectively as he watched.

He already agreed with HUE, so there was no need for the short film. He finally had his son back after years of trying to go it alone. Gary had helped him do it in a month, and he'd left with less blood on hands too. Whatever HUE had in mind, Avocato was ready for it. He owed Gary that much.

Quinn watched the footage stubbornly, shoulders tensing as she refused to be swayed by the her fellow crew members guilty looks. She didn't owe anyone for anything. Gary had saved her because it was the right thing to do, not because he thought she'd owe her. And besides, while they were wasting time with this, the Lord Commander was busy trying to destroy the Earth.

She wavered slightly as footage of one of Gary's video logs to her popped up, images of him smiling and telling her about his day. Maybe she didn't owe him, but-Wait! No. She had more important things to worry about. Friendship and love could till after the world wasn't ending.

HUE continued "From the moment all of you entered Gary's life, he has offered nothing but companionship,-"

Mooncakes noded as the screen showed him pictures of him and Gary hugging.

-friendship,-"

Avacato watched as the screen flickered to a shot of him and Gary playing cards.

"-protection,-"

Little Cato pulled himself closer to his dad, looking around at the group of people who all risked their lives to save him.

"- and even love."

Quinn finally breaks as her shoulders loosen and she looks down.

"And yet despite all this, none of you have tried to assist Gary with his own problems. Gary too, has fears and grief, yet none of you seem mature enough to offer the same support and kindness he has shown to you."

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Little Cato interrupted, distress ad frustration evident in his eyes. "I mean, isn't he sad because of me anyway? How am I supposed to fix that?"

"You nor I can "fix" Gary, Smaller Cato." HUE explained. "You can only hope to ease heartache with love and support. You can start by giving former prisoner Gary a cookie. They are fresh out of the bakery."

Avacato stepped forward and waved his arms haltingly. "Wait! _Former_ prisoner Gary? I thought he still had a few days left?"

"Were you not listening to our contractually binding deal? I have removed three days from Gary sentence, therefore, Gary is no longer a prisoner on the Galaxy One."

Quinn clenched her fists and pointed to the ceiling angrily. "Why didn't you tell him?!"

"Chookity!" Mooncake agreed, glaring at the ceiling.

"So you could do it for me, simultaneously "lightening up" Gary's mood and hopefully using that news as an excuse to have him open up to you. Considering he has nowhere to go, Gary will probably feel very vulnerable no longer being imprisoned on this ship."

"You really thought this through, didn't you?" Little Cato said, crossing his arms in a slightly impressed manner.

"I am an AI, Smaller Cato. It's what I do."

Quinn rested her chin in her hand and thought over HUE strange request. All this to get Gary to open up about something having to do with a missing father and a broken son. It made sense, she supposed, for HUE to become investor in the mental health of his charge, especially since they'd been together for five year.

Still, if this was going to work, the whole vulnerability thing would have to go both ways or there was a chance that Gary would just close himself off. Not to mention the fact that she didn't even know if she wanted to do this! Really, what was the point? Other than piece of mind and bonding time, the was no real value in helping Gary with his-

"I'm gonna go talk to Gary. He looks like he needs a friends right now." Avocato stated resolutely.

He glanced back to his son who nodded and looked down to a determined looking Mooncake who needed as well.

"Let's go dad."

"HmmHm!"

Quinn watched her crew mates start marching to the shoot and came to a sudden realization.

This was the value, right comradery, the trust, the loyalty. That all came from Gary. None of the people on this ship would be working together so smoothly unless Gary was there to grease the gears with smiles and hugs and unending positivity. They needed Gary in peak condition if they wanted to close Final Space.

"Wait." Quinn burst out, raising a hand and stepping forward.

The crew turned around, Avocato raising his brow curiously.

"I just wanted to say...If we're going to do this, we have to be prepared."

Little Cato cocked his head and frowned. "Prepared for what?"

Quinn took a few more steps forward. "Gary is probably emotionally exhausted from talking to HUE, and when we tell him his sentence is over, he'll be teetering over the edge. We need to be gentle, and more importantly, we'll need to be ready to be as vulnerable as he is."

Avocato huffed and crossed his arms. "I-I know that." He insisted.

"Oh? Well if we mess up, we not only might end up hurting Gary and making him shut us out, but he may no longer trust us. This is _Gary_ we're talking about, and yet he's never mentioned what exactly happened to make him this way. Not to you, not to me."

Quinn got right up to Avocato and started him down.

"I've seen every log he's sent me, and none of them include whatever happened to his father. _Five years_ and not a peep, not a _single_ slip up. Tonight we need to establish ourselves as people he can not only _trust,_ but people he can _rely_ on _._ "

Quinn marched forward past Avocato and his son and went to the edge of the shoot confidently.

"I hope you're all ready, because we have some serious emotional baggage to unload. Let's go."

And she jumped.

* * *

 **For a literal saint and very good writer, AmazingGracesPouringDown! I hope I did your cool prompt justice!**

 **This got too long, so it's probably going to be a two parter. Comments and critique welcome**

 **I based this HUE off of the headcannons and ideas of cookiexrevoked in this story! They're on Tumblr and they're awesome!**


	2. Found You!

Gary groaned in a mixture of exhaustion and relief as he flopped onto his bed, not even attempting to take off his robot arm. It always ached and hurt when he slept with it on, but he didn't have the energy to care. Besides, taking it off hurt too, so what was the point? At some point, hurting was gonna happen, better later than now.

He slowly rolled over and tried to clear his thoughts. If he thought over everything he'd gone over with HUE, he'd definitely end up crying. Crying sucked, and while he normally didn't care how loudly and dramatically he did it for the five years he'd been on the Galaxy One, he had guests now, and crying all the time was no longer an option.

He hadn't ever been a real open crier before being on the Galaxy One either, but that had mostly been because whenever he did cry, people would always tell him the same thing.

' _You're only doing it for attention.'_

' _You're such an attention whore.'_

He believed it. After awhile it had started to make sense. After all, why else would someone cry? He'd stopped doing it when he wasn't alone after a while. Yeah, he still cried when he watched a sad movie, or when he felt especially overwhelmed with the lack of a certain person in his life, but he never did it in front of people if he could help it.

After the Galaxy One that had changed. The first year had been hard, and with only his thoughts and KVN as company, things had gotten unfortunately dark. That had also been when HUE had started talking to him. HUE had talked to him before of course, but only to tell him what to do or restrain him from self harm adjacent activities.

When he'd been on the brink of a breakdown and drowning in thoughts he'd had no distractions to chase away, HUE had stepped up in the weirdest way and asked him if he wanted to talk. Gary had said yes, and it had been the best decision he'd ever made. Talking had always been a comfort zone for him, and talking with HUE had been a great way for him to just dump out everything inside his head without feeling guilty for making everything about him. HUE was a great listener too, so Gary never felt like he was imposing after the first time.

Gary bit the inside of his cheek, remembering the talk he'd had with HUE earlier. HUE had always been understanding and easy to talk to, but this time had been different. It was almost like he'd been mocking him or something, asking about things he already knew and just giving off a generally judgy tone.

"Maybe he's just tired of dealing with your bull crap now, Gary. He's finally getting to deal with normal people, maybe he just has standards." Gary mumbled, laying an arm over his eyes and sighing.

It would make sense that HUE might start getting tired of him after all this time. He'd been forced as an AI to take care of him and keep him on the Galaxy One, now that his sentence was almost over, maybe HUE was just about done with him. Even an AI whose only job was to watch over him would have to get tired of listening to him mope around eventually.

"It's been eighteen years, so what's my _deal?"_ He grumbled.

After all this time, he'd thought that eventually he'd be better, that it would stop bothering him so much, but if anything, it only felt worse! His dad was _dead_ , and that wasn't going to change anytime soon. Why couldn't he get a clue and stop wishing he was still around? Especially considering just how joy sucking it was. Despite the amazing, life changing things he's done, he could never really enjoy anything because it was always at the back of his mind leeching away at his experiences.

Gary hiccupped, then took a deep breath and held it in in hopes of suffocating the tears threatening to overwhelm him. He needed to think positively goshdarnit! Things were great right now! Everyone was alive and happy, and they'd finally saved Avocato's son! Little Cato was great, why wasn't he focusing on that?

Gary forced a smile and tried remembering all the fun times he'd already had with the kid. They'd talked so much about all kinds of things, though Gary would admit he was the one who usually talked the most. Little Cato was a good listener though, and he made a great audience for some of his more embellished stories.

Thinking back to when he talked with Little Cato about his dad, Gary couldn't help but smile. He hadn't really talked about his dad to anyone after he'd passed away, but Little Cato didn't know what happened to his dad, so he was able to speak freely about his father to someone without worrying about pitying looks and condolences. Little Cato just smiled and laughed at his stories and Gary could almost delude himself into believing that his father wasn't gone, just far away.

Gary's mind wandered to more sketchy territory as he recalled the actual rescue of Little Cato. While it had definitely been a success in his book, there had still been... _uncomfortably_ close calls. The Lord Commander had almost killed him and Avocato during the whole saving part of the mission and he wasn't a big fan of the bomb scare they'd had after boarding the ship. Things had been close, and now that Gary was finally letting himself mull it over, he didn't know how to feel about this "Saving the Earth" mission he'd accidentally signed up for.

Gary rubbed his face in agitation and unknowingly whimpered as his thoughts took a darker turn. He'd been so happy to be making new friends and seeing new things, he'd pushed all the fears of death, injury and loss to the back of his mind. Everything had always turned out alright, and he always tried his best, even if he didn't always seem like it.

Now? That mission had been the closest call they'd ever had and Gary couldn't keep the thoughts at bay anymore. He was scared. He'd almost lost his best friend last time, and they'd had Mooncake, Quinn, HUE and even freakin KVN as back up. What if next time they didn't make it out together? What if next time they left sans a crew member and it was all his fault?

It _would_ be his fault. Gary had no doubt if anyone on the Galaxy One was injured or, God forbid killed, it would be because of him. The only reason things had been so close last time was because he hadn't tried to get Quinn on board with the plan. Sure, she'd decided to hop on board on her own, but he'd been too guilty about choosing Avocato to actually try and work things out. He knew he wasn't exactly someone who could work well in life or death situations, and the fact that so many lives hung in the balance just made him anxious in all the wrong ways.

The Lord Commander was serious business too! He wasn't playing any games despite how often he brang them up. Gary was pretty sure the guy hadn't played fair in his entire life, and considering the stakes with Mooncake, he wasn't going to start now. What if he failed? What if he lost Mooncake, or ended up screwing up the mission by getting someone hurt, or messing something important up? Everyone could _die_ if he messed things up now! What if he killed someone? What if he killed Avocato, or his son, or Quinn!?

At this point Gary was crying, holding his breath or not, and he rolled over to bury his face his his pillow miserably. He pulled his blanket over his shoulders and whispered useless, comforting mantras to himself to get the tears and shaking to stop.

" _It's okay...I'm okay...It's okay…You're_ _**fine**_ _Gary..."_

Gary hated this part. This was the part of the breakdown where all the fears came out, even the ones that he was positive didn't matter rose to the surface and drowned him in their mediocrity.

Gary was scared that he'd have nowhere to go after his sentence was over, (But that was a lie, because he knew he absolutely did _not_ have anywhere to go.) He was scared that after the mission was over everyone would move on and leave him alone all over again, (Avocato had said he'd wanted to stay, but he'd come to his senses, and so would Quinn and HUE and even Mooncake. Gary lived in a prison, he didn't want anyone to live in it with him.)

Gary was scared that they might not even get the chance to get tired of him and leave because the Lord Commander was going to kill them all, (And Gary was _so scared_ that he'd be the only one left. There was no way he could complete the mission alone, but with his luck everything would fall apart and he'd end up failing everyone again when he ultimately failed the entire human race.)

Gary was scared- no, he was _terrified_ of all these thing and more, but most of all? What scared Gary Goodspeed most of all was the mere idea that they could tell. That Quinn could see how worthless he really was, that Avocato could sense his cowardice, could feel his weakness, that Mooncake knew just how useless he really was, that Little Cato could hear his pathetic thoughts. He was terrified that everyone already knew everything he was so desperately trying to deny, and Gary didn't think he'd be able to survive it if any of them knew.

Gary wasn't scared of death, not really. What really scared Gary was that any day now they'd all find out he didn't belong. As he weakly attempted to smother himself with his own pillow, Gary close his eyes and tried to let himself fall into blissful unconsciousness, but not before just one more thought dragged it's way through his brain.

Eventually they'd find out he wasn't supposed to be here. This mission, this adventure that he was so desperately clinging to, they had to have noticed by now. He wasn't supposed to be apart of it. He wasn't supposed to be friends with Avocato, he wasn't supposed to actually meet Quinn again, he wasn't supposed to be the guardian of a cute little planet destroyer, and he definitely wasn't supposed to be bonding with Little Cato.

" _I don't belong here...Not when you could be here...You'd know what to do…"_

HUE watched Gary suffer in silence, silently praying, or doing the robot equivalent, that the crew would follow through on their promises. He could only do so much for Gary before his sentence was over, and he feared that his therapy could never replace actual friendship. The two were mutually exclusive, no matter what others may believe, there was a key difference.

As HUE discreetly dimmed the lights in Gary's room, the AI felt what he supposed the robot equivalent of sadness as Gary uttered one last muffled cry.

" _...Dad...Please_ _ **help me**_ …"

* * *

Quinn was riding on waves of confidence as they slowly receded with the tide. Now that the reality of what she was going to be doing was hitting her, it wasn't exactly vibing with her anymore. She had no training for this! She'd talked a lot of game but she had no experience in this field and if she messed up this whole crew could fall apart!

She could already image how it would go. Without Gary, Mooncake would probably become depressed and despondent and then there went the strongest weapon in their arsenal. Little Cato had become pretty close with Gary so he would become more withdrawn and act out more with no one to play with.

Avocato already butted heads with her. Without Gary easing the tension between the two strong willed individuals, they would probably split apart or argue themselves to death. What's more, Avocato would probably act more recklessly without Gary to hold his attention.

And her? She wouldn't flatter herself. Without Gary holding everyone together, she'd probably go it alone rather than deal with a bunch of difunctional crew mates.

" _-I have no doubt she'll be the reason we defeat The Lord Commander."_

 _No_. She needed to calm down and think this through logically. The margin of error was larger than she was comfortable with, but it wasn't impossible either. She just needed say the right things and be supportive. What did Gary need _right now_? What did they need to do for _him_?

Well, first off, Gary had avoided the subject of his childhood and parents like the plague. _Why?_ Gary had been in isolation for five years, he had nothing to lose except... _Oh_. So Gary didn't want to upset _them?_ Well then, she'd just have to assure him of their continued presence and his value as a friend and companion. Easy! She could do this, no problem!

Quinn marched over to Gary's door, pausing to look to her side as Avocato, Little Cato and Mooncake quickly caught up to her and nodded.

"Alright, let's-"

" _OOOOOOKAY GARY!_ WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT FEELINGS!"

KVN burst past the Cato's and Quinn and yanked Gary's door open, leaving the crew all in several states of shock and horror. Quinn had forgotten about KVN completely! Why now of all times did he have to reappear?

"Holy _**CRAP!**_ What the _hell_ KVN?!" Gary yelled, jumping out of bed and rubbing his eyes.

"KVN? Why-Where the hell _were_ you?" Avocato asked, stepping forward and attempting to pull KVN away from Gary, who was edging away from the robot warily.

"Oh! Well, a little while back HUE told me to check something in storage and then for some reason I got locked in! Thankfully, I escaped and heard what you guys talking about, so I can help! Not to worry! KVN is _on the case!_ "

" _ **KVN-**_ " Gary growled.

KVN ignored Gary's obvious annoyance, wrapping his extendable arms around him like a vice.

"I tried to hold him back, but alas, I can only do so much. You are on your own." HUE explained apologetically.

Gary raised an eyebrow at HUE's apology and tried to pull himself away from KVN's crushing embrace. "HUE? what are you talking abou-"

"Ssshhhhhhhh, Gary. Talk to me babe. Let it _allllll_ out." KVN comforted, cradling Gary's head and patting his face.

Gary's face quickly reddened with rage, his complexion married with his bloodshot eyes making the man look about ready for murder. Quinn could already see her and HUE's carefully laid out plans crumbling beneath the idiotic androids clumsy claws. She quickly turned to Mooncake and gave him what she hoped was a look that said ' _Get RID of him!'_

"Chookity!"

Mooncake flew over to KVN and bit onto one of his arms, pulling him away from Gary and dragging him to the door.

Gary looked halfway impressed and halfway confused as his little ball friend headed to the door with trash in tow. "Mooncake?"

"HEY! What's the big idea? I'm HELPING!" KVN argued.

Mooncake rolled his eyes and tugged KVN out the door, Little Cato casually kicking the door shut and smiling innocently.

Gary stood there and looked over his fellow crew mates for a few moments as his mind finally caught up to the situation. Everyone was in his room, and they all looked... worried? Gary blinked and noted how sore his eyes felt, then blushed, realizing he'd been crying not moments earlier. Of course they were worried, he probably looked awful!

Gary quickly slapped his hands over his eyes and tried to rub away all the dried salt and wetness, though, rubbing his eyes would probably only make the redness worse. He sat down and sighed, unable to hide the exhaustion the weighed him down and mentally prayed to the god of his choice that they would all be leaving very, very soon. He didn't want to have any company right now.

Quinn, Avocato and Little Cato all shared a look as Gary tried to collect himself. Now that KVN was gone, they all had to get back on track. Quinn rubbed her hands together nervously and took a deep breath, but before she could start, Gary spoke up.

"So, what are you guys doing in my room, all-all grouped together and stuff? Is, uh, is it my birthday? Cause I don't think-"

The crew all shared another look as Gary rambled, then Quinn stepped forward and sat next to him, pulling his hand into hers. Gary voice cut off the moment she took his hand and after a few seconds of silence, he finally looked up.

Quinn's heart twisted uncomfortably as she got a close up on Gary's face. He looked worse than she'd imagined. His eyes were bloodshot, he had dark eyebags, and a hopeless, scared look was shining not very deep beneath the surface. Gary looked a few more hits away from falling apart.

"Gary...we all heard you and HUE in the dining area…We heard _everything_..."

"Oh... _Oh_ …" Gary paled and tried to pull his hand back but Quinn kept a firm hold, squeezing it lightly and maintaining eye contact even as his eyes darted around the room anxiously.

Quinn squeezed his hand tighter in an attempt to bring him back. "Gary, look at me, okay?"

Gary blinked and finally focused his eyes on her nervously. Quinn internally cringed as their eyes met and bit her lip. Gary looked terrified. She could feel his hand shaking.

" _Gary._ " Quinn placed her other hand on his and squeezed with both, giving him a small smile in hopes of calming him down.

"I don't know... what _exactly_ happened to you, and I _can't_ say I understand how you feel, but, I just want you to know... I still _trust_ you Gary. I care about you, and I want you to know I'll keep caring _right_ _now_ and _forever."_

Gary was having a hard time believing he was hearing what he thought he was hearing, much less that she wasn't lying to him. The Quinn he knew wouldn't be caught dead holding his hand, but he was captivated by the conviction in her eyes and desperate to keep the feeling of her hands in his, so for now, he'd believe her. Heck! She could say she was actually a radioactive space dolphin in disguise and he'd believe her.

"You're...You're an _irreplaceable_ asset to the mission Gary. You keep us all together. I'm… really glad you're here, because I don't think I'd be able to do _any_ of this alone. You're so _optimistic_ and- and _kind_ , I can't help but trust you... I have no doubt, _you'll_ be the reason we defeat The Lord Commander "

Gary looked a bit overwhelmed, but Quinn squeezed his hand again and looked over to Avocato. Time for phase two.

Avocato nodded and sat on Gary's other side, gently taking his other hand. "Gary…?"

Gary was still gaping at Quinn and Avocato sighed, then tried Quinn's method and squeezed his hand to get his attention.

"Gary, I'm your best friend, right?"

Gary took a shaky breath and turned around to look at Avocato. He nodded slowly, but still retained the same nervous energy, like at any moment, they would all up and leave. Avocato idly rubbed his thumb along the back of Gary's hand in hopes of calming him and continued.

"And you trust me with your life, right?"

Gary nodded again, this time with more conviction.

"Well, I want you to know... I _don't._ I don't trust myself with _a lot_ of things, actually. You want to know what I do trust? One of the only things?"

Gary began to nod, then stopped himself, finding his voice and letting out a soft. "Y-yeah?"

Avocato smiled softly and pulled Gary's hand closer.

"I trust _you_ Gary. I trust you more than anyone I've ever met. More than myself _._ In fact? The only reason I can trust myself as your friend is because I know _you_ trust me."

Avocato looked away nervously. "I've never had a best friend before, and I'm still kind of worried I'm messing it up. So having you here, telling me that you trust me with your _life?_ It's all the confirmation I need. You're my inspiration, yo."

Avocato was looking a little emotional, and tried to crack a smile as he yo'd Gary, who just looked stunned again. He couldn't believe this was real. There was no way this was real, because if this was real- It just _couldn't_ be!

Avocato finally pulled his attention away from Gary and looked to Little Cato, who hesitantly stepped forward and sat in his dad's lap. Little Cato laid his hand on top of the one his dad was holding, though he was too nervous to look at Gary while he did so.

"Um, I-...I was scared... when I first got on the Galaxy One." He admitted quietly. Gary just gave him a confused look, so he continued.

"I kept thinking... it was all some mind game the Lord Commander was playing. That this wasn't _real._ Not even hugging my dad made the feeling go away."

Avocato frowned and rubbed his sons back comfortingly. Little Cato gave his dad a grateful smile, then pressed on.

"I was so paranoid, I-I kept scratching myself so I would just _wake up_! The idea that this was all a fantasy by the Lord Commander was _suffocating_...And then... then I met you Gary."

Little Cato smiled, looking down at their hands and giving them a little squeeze. "At first, I thought you were annoying. Kinda immature, especially since Quinn and HUE and my dad all seemed so grown up and serious."

Gary unconsciously smiled and squeezed Little Cato's hand back as he reminisced about their first day hanging out together.

"All you wanted to talk about were video games and pranks you pulled as a kid! I remember getting angry at you because whenever I got caught up in your stories, I'd keep forgetting that this was supposed to be a trick, that it wasn't real…"

Avocato and Quinn shared a look, both thoughts along the lines of ' _How did we miss this?_ '. Quinn was the first to look away, reminding herself that she couldn't read minds and that the past was the past. Avocato frowned, looking back to his son and internally putting a pin in the subject. He'd have to talk about this with his son later, and there _would_ be a later.

"I remember on the third day, when you were telling me a story about your dad and the school picture, it just hit me. I was safe. My dad was alive. I was okay. This was _real."_

Little Cato looked over to his father and smiled in relief. "I-I guess I just realized, the Lord Commander would never go out of his way to make up all this backstory and weirdness for some random dude, it just wouldn't make sense!"

Gary and Avocato chuckled at Little Cato's explanation and Quinn smiled.

"I love your stories Gary...The ones about your childhood, the ones about your dad, the ones you tell about things that literally _just_ happened, because...They make this real for me. The Galaxy One and everyone else. You-you kinda grounded me when I needed it most cause...you make me feel like a normal kid again."

Gary pulled the hand Quinn was holding to his mouth and tried to swallow down the sob that was clawing its way up his throat. This was real. It was just like Little Cato said and that was simultaneously the most relieving thing in the universe and the most terrifying.

"Oh, _Little Cato_ …I-"

Gary was tearing up, but before Quinn or Avocato can say anything, the door swished opened and a green blur flew in and hugged Gary's face.

" _Omph!_ Mooncake!" Gary hugged Mooncake back and pulled the little alien away to wipe at his wet eyes.

"Chooookity? Ooh- Pa?" Mooncake looked worried for him and Gary gave him another hug.

"I'm-I'm gonna be okay little buddy...Spider Cat and the crew got my back."

"You bet we do, Thunder Bandit." Little Cato agreed, wiping his own eyes and cracking a weak smile.

Avocato was internally torn between hating himself for not noticing that his son was going through something so awful and crying tears of joy over how close Little Cato and Gary had become. How awesome was is that Gary had helped his sons mental health by just being himself? He'd always had an inkling that Gary was just an inherently healthy person to be around, but this was solid evidence, plain and simple.

Quinn relaxed despite herself as Gary finally let out a genuine, if weak chuckle as Mooncake nuzzled his face. The hard part wasn't over, not technically, but they were making real progress now, and that was what mattered. Quinn took a breath then spoke up.

"So, Gary? Do you...want to talk about it? I understand if your not comfortable! If you don't, we can just-…. _cuuuuudle?_ " Quinn tried.

She silently cursed herself and her waning emotional energy. She'd only spoken a little and yet she already felt so drained and frazzled! She wasn't an expert at feelings but she was doing her best gosh darn it!

Gary, Avocato, his son and Mooncake all froze as the word _cuddle_ slipped clumsily passed her lips into the tension filled room. Gary looked especially taken aback for a moment before bursting out laughing.

Quinn blushed and tried to cross her arms as Gary threw an arm around her. "Nono! It's-you-you did _fine!_ It's just _-AH-HAHAHAHAHA!"_

Little Cato was the second one to break at he watched Quinn try to fight back a smirk in the face of Gary's unhindered cackling. He giggled and slapped a hand over his mouth uselessly. Avocato tried to keep himself together, but when the sound of his sons giggles reached his ears he cracked like fine china in bull ring.

Quinn huffed out a soft laugh as she watched her frien- her _teammates,_ laugh and nudge each other with abandon. She supposed it made sense that Gary couldn't stay serious for long, and now that she new more about him, she liked it better that way. Gary looked better with a smile, surrounded by people he cared about. It was his element.

" _Oh_ , good LORD! _Hahaha_ …I'm so _sorry_ Quinn, but... _WOW_..."

Quinn rolled her eyes but before she could come up with a retort, KVN slammed through the door with cookies in hand.

"I brought _snaAAAacks!_ " He cheered, looking around the rooms occupants eagerly, like any second they'd all start cheering with him.

Quinn raised an unimpressed eyebrow and quickly looked over to Mooncake who seemed to be unintentionally mirroring her. Mooncake let out a small, annoyed "Hmm-Pa." and bumped KVN out of the room, HUE quickly shutting the door after him. Gary let out a relieved sigh at the satisfying sound of his door lock.

"Um, so now that _that's_ out of the way...I _think_...I think I'll just take that cuddle. If you were serious about it? I want to talk about what happened, but… I don't think I _can_ right now."

Gary rubbed his neck guiltily and looked away from his friends in shame. He really appreciated how open everyone had been, and he felt like a real jerk for not opening up and just being _okay_ with talking. The problem was he just _couldn't_. Not that he could really articulate _why_ , even if everyone deserved a better explanation then, ' _I just can't.'_.

They'd gone out of their way to tell him all their secrets and feelings and here he was still being all-... _weird_. They probably thought he was being a tool shed or something, like he was special. He wasn't, he knew that! He wasn't hurt anymore than anyone else, so he should be able to talk about it like they had, but-

"Chookity."

Mooncake floated forward and hugged Gary's cheek, humming happily and cutting off Gary's train of thought like he'd lasered the train tracks himself. Gary bit the inside of his cheek to keep from sobbing again and hugged the little alien tightly.

Little Cato sniffled as he began to get choked up as well and wrapped his arms around Gary's side, giving him a firm squeeze and purring softly. He would deny to his dying breath ever shedding a single tear afterwards, but for now, he just wanted to feel safe.

Avocato quickly wrapped his arms around Gary and his son, rubbing their backs and squeezing them comfortingly. He hadn't seen his son like this since he was five years old, and he'd _never_ seen Gary cry before. Despite the tears, Avocato had no doubt that this was a healing moment. He swore right then and there that he would protect the people in his arms till his dying breath, unconsciously purring along with his son as he did so.

Quinn watched as her crewmates all slowly melded into one big, warm, group hug. Despite the stubborn voice in her head that was telling her she should leave, she'd done her due diligence, ect., a much stronger, yet foreign voice told her she should join in.

' _The whole left side of him is up for grabs, don't let this opportunity go to waste!'_

But hugging could lead to consequences like attachment, bonding, maybe even-

' _I'm so tired. Please, I just need, like, one minute.'_

...Well, she couldn't really say no to _one_ minute.

Quinn scooted closer to Gary and quietly wrapped her arms around his left side, resting her cheek in his soft blond hair. She immediately relaxed as the warmth from both the Cato's and Gary seeped into her bones and released all the tension from her body. She smiled as the relaxing thrumm of the Cato's purrs vibrated through Gary. Before she knew it, all five of them were slowly laying down on Gary's bed and closing their eyes.

The bed was bit cramped for Gary's taste, but he wasn't gonna complain. He sighed in content as Quinns arms tightened around him and it took everything in him to not squeal at the fact that she was spooning him. Except that was a lie, because the other half of him was actually occupied with not screeching over how cute Avocato and Little Cato purring was. This was just a quality moment, okay?

"King mode, Activated." HUE said, so softly that Gary almost thought he'd imagined it.

Suddenly, the entire bed shifted under Gary until the bed was most assuredly king in size. Gary hadn't know his bed could do that! Why hadn't he know that? Why had HUE made his bed so small?!

Gary didn't have the energy to yell at HUE for keeping the king size mode from him, but OH BOY. When he did? HUE better _watch OUT_! Gary huffed softly and pulled his blanket over all five of them, closing his eyes.

HUE dimmed the lights till the room fell under a quiet blanket of darkness. "Goodnight Gary."

Not a single one of them have any bad dreams that night.

* * *

 _*One week later*_

Avocato smiled to himself after putting Little Cato to bed. His son may act like he was too old for some things, but Avocato could tell he still enjoyed them, so until he didn't, he keep tucking in his boy and telling him stories.

" _Awww._ He's like a little bunny rabbit…" Gary cooed as he peeked into the room.

Thankfully, Little Cato had fallen asleep, so instead of clawing Gary's eyes out, his ear simply twitched.

"First it's cats, now bunnies?" Avocato asked sarcastically.

He got up and quietly snuck out of his son's room, shutting the door behind himself and walking to the dining area with Gary.

"You may be savage killing machines Avocato, but you can't deny you guys are also _super_ cute. What, with the soft fur and your big eyes, _the cute little ears?_ "

Avocato rolled his eyes and slid into his seat, automatically taking out a pack of cards and shuffling them.

'What about you? Your hair's pretty soft too, and your eyes are the same size as mine. Same as our ears."

"Okay first of all, thank you, but I have excessive amounts of conditioner to thank for my silky locks of golden goodness." Gary braged, flicking his hair theatrically.

"And second, you're _WRONG_ Avocato! Try not to be so wrong."

Avocato snorted, leaning back and doling out cards in amusement.

"How am I wrong? I'm pretty sure you're just mistaking my eye dilation for expansion of size, whitch it's not."

"Uh-huh, _sure._ "

Avocato rolled his eyes and raised an eyebrow when he noticed Gary's had brought a plate of cookies to the table. He quickly reached over and snatched one, much to Gary's displeasure.

"Hey! Those are MINE Avocato! Get your own, they're like, endless!"

"Oh, I took _one_ , you'll live." Avocato said.

Gary huffed, then picked up his cards and looked then over grumpily.

"But now I know one of em's _missing_ …" He wined.

Avocato was about to nag Gary for being whiny because he forgot to each lunch with everyone else when he suddenly remembered something.

" _-you know, it could have been so much better if that piece wasn't_ _ **missing**_ _!"_

Avocato's chest hurt remembering that day, especially having hearing Gary rant so miserably. It hadn't been too long ago but everyone was still adjusting to the new status quo. Said status quo being that sometimes Gary just wasn't always one hundred percent all the time.

Sometimes he was a ball of excited energy, looking for the next adventure, and sometimes he just wanted to sit in silence, cuddling with Mooncake on the couch, (and Little Cato, if the teen was feeling especially affectionate.)

Gary was a little more quiet sometimes too, and Avocato realized that those silences weren't signs that he was unhappy, but in fact indicators that he finally felt safe to just _exist_. He no longer needed to prove he had a purpose in every situation, he could just be there, and it was fine.

Little Cato had been different too, though Avocato was torn in his feelings about it. His son would alternate between having sudden outbursts of affection, like hugging the nearest living person, and demanding complete isolation from all the members of the Galaxy One.

Thankfully, he allowed Mooncake in his hideaway, so the crew knew he wasn't _completely_ unsupervised, but they still got worried. Avocato had semi-regular talks with him, but despite doing his best, there were some things about being a parent that never got easier.

There were more positive changes too, like Quinn for example. While it wasn't overnight, she softened up on Gary and Little Cato considerably. She also helped Avocato with Gary and his son when he was feeling overwhelmed, and he appreciated knowing he had her support.

His favorite part about her suddenly relaxed demeanor was the fact that he occasionally caught her cuddling with Gary and Little Cato for a few minutes before sneaking off. He could barely wait for an opportunity to bring it up, but he refused to waste it. He was gonna save it for something special.

As Gary looked over his cards with more concentration than he had any right to direct as a hand of cards, Avocato mulled over his current train of thought. They hadn't really had any more talks with Gary since the first one. After that, most of the important changes had just _happened_ , or, at least it had _felt_ like they had. What had HUE said back then?

" _-Gary too, has fears and grief, yet none of you seem_ _ **mature**_ _enough to offer the same support and kindness he has shown to you."_

Avocato had talked with his son after they had talked with Gary, and had had many more talks afterwards. Maybe he needed to try the same with Gary? Gary might not be a child, but he still needed a push when it came to broaching the topic. He'd been tight lipped about his past for who knows how long, how else was he supposed to know what was going on with him of he didn't ask?

' _But where to start…?'_

"Avocato! Hello? It's your turn!"

Avocato jumped a bit as he was startled out of his thoughts and quickly looked over his cards and set them out, smiling as Gary pouted.

"HUE, are you _sure_ Avocato's not cheating?"

"I am 100% certain Avocato has not broken any rules pertaining to your game Gary. You are simply bad at cards."

"Uh? _Rude_ HUE! I asked for _facts_ , not your opinions on my _amazing_ cards playing skills!"

"Now _that's_ an opinion if I've ever heard one!" Avocato teased.

"You're all just jealous! You'll see, this next game I'm gonna make you _beg_ for mercy!"

Avocato smiled and doled out another hand of cards, then picked up his hand and took a breath.

"So, Gary? You know that whole, date analogy thing you did? Can you explain that, cause it was just lost on me."

Gary blinked and placed his cards down. "Wha-Oh! You mean the-when I was talking to HUE? Back then?"

Gary rubbed his arm nervously. "I uh, I don't really know how to say it well, I mean, that was kinda why I made it an analogy and all…"

Avocato felt the sudden tension and immediately regretted ruining the calm atmosphere. "If you don't want to explain it that's fine! I was just curious, but you don't have to-"

"No no wait!" Gary held his hand up, looking a mix between uncomfortable and anxious. " I think-Okay, cause I think I can- I ju-I want to! I just- give me a sec…"

Gary rubbed his neck and leaned back, Avocato setting his cards down and giving his friend his undivided attention.

"So, the date? The date I was talking about, that kinda represented life? Like, day to day living. And the food was all the good stuff that happens in life. You know, meeting new people, seeing new things?"

Avocato nodded, acknowledging the not so subtle reference to their first meeting with a small smile.

"And uh, and the person taking stuff, they kinda represented the sucky parts? Like meeting someone, but they want to kill you? Or seeing something cool but _it_ wants to kill you?"

"And…" Gary sighed, leaning forward and placing his elbows on the table, resting his cheeks in his hands tiredly.

"And the missing parts of the food, were… Th-the missing thing was my dad." Gary's voice cracked, and he hated how he still can't control the sudden flow of tears. How it was almost pavlovian in how it hit him so suddenly.

"And, I guess my whole point was that no matter how great I'm feeling... or how amazing my accomplishments are… I can never really enjoy it to its fullest because he's not there. He's not _here_."

Gary placed a hand on the seat next to him, then wiped away some tears in agitation.

"And no matter how great I feel, I know it could be better, and that's _stupid_ cause it literally _can't_ but my brains says _logic_ is stupid so-"

Gary threw his hands up, at a loss for words.

"Like, he doesn't even have anything to do with this, this _mission_ , but now he does because he doesn't. Does that make any sense? I don't feel like I'm making much sense here."

Avocato scooted forward and wiped some of Gary's tears away. "I think your making sense, don't worry."

Gary smiled in appreciation, taking a shaky breath and rubbing at his eyes weakly.

Avocato watched Gary slowly collect himself and decided to divulge some things about himself.

"When we were looking for Little Cato, I felt hopeless a lot." He admitted, leaning back and looked down at his hands as he laid them in his lap. "I would be having fun with you, thinking about how great it would be if I could stay like that forever, and then BAM! Little Cato is all I can think about."

Avocato looked down at his hands and sighed. "I'd feel so guilty for having fun without him. Like, any future were he isn't safe. _Alive_? It wasn't possible. I couldn't adjust…I can't _imagine_ what it would be like to be forced to adjust to that reality."

Gary nodded in understanding and took a shaky breath to calm himself. "Well, for what it's worth, I didn't really _adjust._ I was just kind of forced to live it. Life kept pulling me forward and I just had to exist knowing it wouldn't stop"

"Hm...Well, I can't say I know what that's like, but I have to admit I'm grateful for it." Avocato said.

"Grateful? Why?" Gary asked.

"Because," Avocato said confidently, an easy smile playing on his lips as he picked up his cards once again. "if life hadn't pushed you, you never would have run into me."

* * *

 _Um, dad? I sort of did something and I need your advice. I don't want any judgement or criticism though, okay?_

 _And you came to_ _ **me**_ _?_

 _Um, yes? You once complimented my penmanship when I forged my report card dad._

 _But it was a_ _ **really**_ _good forgery!_

 _Thanks! But, I just came to...um…_

 _You can tell me buddy. Don't worry, I'm sure it's not_ _**that**_ _bad. Is that it? What's behind your back son?_

 _..._

 _Can I keep it?_

…

 _Sure sport, but_ _**only**_ _if you let it go after it becomes a butterfly. Can you promise me you'll take good care of it until then?_

 _Really? Yes! I promise! I'll keep it safe and I'll feed it and read it bedtime stories and raise it till it's big and strong! I'll be the best butterfly dad ever!_

 _Haha! Good! I'm sure you'll make an_ _**amazing**_ _butterfly Gary._

* * *

 **Am I projecting my own fears and insecurities on Gary as a form of catharsis? Yes, yes I am.**

 **Any comments and critique are welcome! I love to improve so don't hold back if something irks you! I also love having my ego stroked, so if you have any compliments, don't be shy! I'm certainly not!**

 **Saber8127 Thank you! I am flattered, but god forbid he ever reads this. I don't know if I could ever survive it!**

 **Guest, thank you! I hope it lives up to your expectations!**

 **I used some awesome HUE headcannons and ideas I got from cookiexrevoked in this story! You should totally check out their stuff, it's really creative!**


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